TSU Picked To Finish Second In OVC, Four Players Named Preseason All-Conference

/in , /by

TSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brian “Penny” Collins. Photo: Courtesy of TSU Athletics

Tennessee State University (TSU) men’s basketball was picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll, its highest under head coach Brian “Penny” Collins.

The Tigers received 130 points with two first place votes ahead of the new season. The OVC, based in Brentwood, Tennessee, has had some major shakeups the past two years with the exits of Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Belmont and Murray State, while also welcoming Little Rock, Southern Indiana and Lindenwood.

TSU led the way with four Preseason All-OVC selections this season, which includes guards Jr. Clay, Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. and Dedric Boyd, as well as forward Zion Griffin. Clay came to the program for fellow league school Tennessee Tech where he earned four career All-OVC honors and, thanks to an extra year of eligibility, could become the first player in league history to earn a fifth honor. Last year he averaged 12.9 ppg, 3.7 apg and 1.7 steals per game.

Fitzgerald was second on the TSU team last season, tallying 11.5 ppg and hitting an impressive 84.0 percent at the free throw line. Boyd hit 59 three-pointers in his debut season with the Tigers a year ago, while Griffin, a transfer from UIC, averaged 11.1 ppg and hit over 50 percent from the field for the Flames.

This year marks the fifth with the program for head coach Collins.

Preseason Predicted Order of Finish:
1. Morehead State (7 first-place votes) – 138 points
2. Tennessee State (2) – 130
3. UT Martin (7) – 120
4. Southeast Missouri (2) – 115
5. SIUE (2) – 111
6. Little Rock – 102
7. Southern Indiana – 68
8. Tennessee Tech – 62
9. Eastern Illinois – 31
10. Lindenwood – 23

Belmont Women’s Basketball Receives 14 AP Votes, Picked To Finish First In MVC

/in , /by

2022 OVC Tournament MVP Destinee Wells. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

College basketball season is just a few weeks away and the Belmont women’s basketball team is looking at what could be another historic, and potentially championship, season.

The Bruins won both the Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Title, as well as the OVC Tournament title last season behind sophomore superstar and OVC Tournament MVP Destinee Wells. For this reason, Belmont have been picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference this season–their first in the MVC.

Wells was also named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year after a brilliant 2021-22 season where she averaged 16.7 ppg, 4.5 apg, 122 rebounds and shooting 45 percent from the field. She is also a member of the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List.

The Bruins received 32 of 44 possible first-place votes in the MVC preseason poll and return three first-team all-conference selections in juniors Madison Bartley and Tuti Jones. With seven of its top nine scorers in 2021-22 back, Belmont features five newcomers, including transfers Kendal Cheesman (Vanderbilt) and Sydni Harvey (South Florida).

Belmont also received 14 votes in NCAA women’s basketball Associated Press Preseason Top 25 Poll, the most votes ever received to start a season. They are the only MVC program represented in the preseason national media poll.

A pair of top 10 opponents are on the Bruins’ non-conference schedule with Belmont hosting preseason No. 7 Louisville on Nov. 13 to close out the opening week of the season. The Bruins travel to preseason No. 4 Iowa the following Sunday (Nov. 20) before possibly facing No. 18 Baylor and No. 25 Michigan in the 2022 Gulf Coast Showcase form Nov. 25-27 in Estero, Florida.

Additionally, both Villanova and Georgia received votes in the preseason AP Top 25. The Bruins take on the Wildcats in the Sunshine State to begin the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 25 and Belmont travels to Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Dec. 17.

With one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, the Bruins face no fewer than 11 20-win programs from a year ago and at least 12 teams who made a national postseason tournament last March. Belmont is slated to play seven 2022 NCAA Tournament squads and hosts ACC mainstay Georgia Tech (Dec. 4), in addition to reigning Final Four participant Louisville.

Belmont Launches ‘Belmont Bruins Radio’ On iHeartRadio

/in /by

Belmont University Athletics announced the launch of Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. Belmont Bruins Radio will be a modern, 24/7 digital station providing fans around the clock access to Belmont Athletics across iHeart’s industry-leading, multi-platform network.

“This new partnership with iHeartMedia ranks among the most innovative and transformational agreements in the history of Belmont Athletics,” says Greg Sage, Associate Athletic Director for Broadcasting and Media Relations. “In terms of optimizing content, brand and reach, this is the gold standard. Beyond the programming and feature content, this partnership will afford Belmont students countless learning opportunities and provide synergies with iHeart Nashville radio stations. Our inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference presented the perfect time for this collaboration. Sincere thanks to Kevin LeGrett, Dan Endom, Greg Cerchione and the entire iHeart team for making this a reality.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Belmont Athletics and the esteemed Belmont University,” says iHeartMedia Nashville President Dan Endom. “This partnership reflects what we feel is the future of sports content delivery by reaching every fan whenever, and wherever, they are through the iHeartRadio App. Go Bruins!”

Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio programming will include live game broadcasts, classic archived game broadcasts, original programming and podcasts. Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio will be available on over 250 platforms and thousands of devices, including:

  • iHeartRadio app (Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Samsung app stores)
  • Online (BelmontBruins.com, iHeart.com)
  • Home Streaming Devices & Smart TVs (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Google TV, Chromecast, Xfinity, Direct TV)
  • Gaming Consoles (PlayStation, XBOX, Epic)
  • Voice-Activated Systems (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, Samsung, BOSE)
  • Wearables (Apple Watch, Wear OS, Garmin)
  • Automotive (BMW, Ford, Lincoln, GM, Honda, Jaguar/Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo)
  • Travel (Southwest, Alaska Airlines)

Belmont joins an exclusive list of NCAA Division I athletic programs with iHeart digital radio stations, including Villanova University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of South Florida.

Jerry Stackhouse Signs Contract Extension With Vanderbilt

/in , /by

Jerry Stackhouse. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

After a successful 2021-22 season, Vanderbilt has given men’s basketball head coach Jerry Stackhouse a four-year contract extension.

The two-time NBA All-Star has rejuvenated the program in his first three seasons in Nashville. The Commodores had just posted a winless record in the SEC when Stackhouse took over the helm ahead of the 2019-20 season. He helped lead Vandy to a 19-17 record in his third–and most recent–season, and made a run to the NIT quarterfinals.

“The positive trajectory of our men’s basketball program under Coach Stackhouse is clear,” says Candice Lee, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director. “Committing to and investing in him as the leader is an important part of building the championship caliber program that we all want and expect here at Vanderbilt. I value the contributions Jerry and his program have made to our community and campus, and I am excited about our future.”

Under Stackhouse’s tutelage, three former Vanderbilt student-athletes–Aaron Nesmith, Saben Lee and Scotty Pippen Jr.–have advanced to the NBA. Stackhouse has reloaded the Vanderbilt roster thanks to a strong push on the recruiting trail. The current freshman class was ranked No. 18 in the nation by Rivals and No. 24 by 247 Sports.

“I would like to recognize and thank our Board of Trust, Chancellor Diermeier, our AD Dr. Candice Storey Lee, my staff, players, family and all the fans of Commodore Nation for this amazing experience thus far and for the opportunity to continue to lead the Vanderbilt men’s basketball program into the future,” Stackhouse notes. “Stability and commitment are concepts in college athletics that are hard to come by these days. I feel very fortunate to be at Vanderbilt, where stability and commitment are part of our culture from Chancellor Diermeier to Dr. Lee on down.

“With this new contract, they continue to show the confidence in my tremendous staff and myself,” he continues. “Through Vandy United, our community and athletic department has made tremendous commitments to the future of our athletic landscape through the establishment of new facilities and the investment and improvement of existing ones.”

Off the court, Vanderbilt has had two SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners, including current senior Jordan Wright in 2022. In total, Vanderbilt has produced 18 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections in Stackhouse’s three seasons. The Commodores have been active in the community throughout his tenure, supporting Vanderbilt University’s Next Steps program, Habitat for Humanity, Turner’s Heroes and local elementary schools.

“This is an unprecedented time in Vanderbilt Athletics history and bright days are ahead for Vanderbilt Basketball,” Stackhouse adds. “We are continuing to climb forward and look forward to building on the momentum and confidence we’ve generated over the past three years. Thank you again. Anchor Down!”

Prior to Vanderbilt, Stackhouse served as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies, which was preceded by two seasons as head coach of the NBA G League’s Raptors 905. As head coach, Stackhouse earned NBA G League Coach of the Year honors after he steered the team to a 39-11 regular season record and 6-1 playoff record in 2016-17, en route to the team’s first NBA G League championship. The following season, Stackhouse led the Raptors 905 to a 31-19 regular season record and a second straight appearance in the NBA G League Finals.

Stackhouse received his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina in the fall of 1999, and completed the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports at the Harvard Business School executive education program in 2017.

Belmont’s Destinee Wells Named To The 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List

/in , /by

Destinee Wells. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University women’s basketball star Destinee Wells has been selected as one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

To be considered for the prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1996 member Nancy Lieberman.

“The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is honored to celebrate both men and women at all levels of the game,” says President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame John L. Doleva. “The players being recognized today on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List have worked extremely hard to master their skills and have become outstanding examples of why the future is so bright for our game. We look forward to evaluating this year’s top point guards with Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer who helped pave the way for today’s female athletes.”

A junior, Wells has already solidified herself in Bruins history with the performances she’s had. The only freshman in the nation to average at least 17.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals in 2020-21, Wells has scored double figures in 43 of her last 45 games and 51 of 56 career games. Starting in all but one game she has donned the Belmont jersey, Wells enters the 2022-23 campaign needing only 36 points to become the Bruins’ 33rd 1,000-point scorer. In addition to her scoring ability, Wells has compiled 255 assists, 188 rebounds and 91 steals in her first two years.

Over the last two NCAA Tournaments against some of the biggest names in the game, the Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native has averaged 19.8 points and five assists with 20-point outings versus Tennessee and Gonzaga. Named Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Year following the 2021-22 season, Wells claimed back-to-back spots on the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team and was tabbed All-American honorable mention by World Exposure Report after her sophomore season. Wells became only the second player in Ohio Valley Conference history selected as OVC Tournament MVP as both a freshman and sophomore upon leading Belmont to its sixth OVC Tournament title in seven years.

Fans are encouraged to participate in fan voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds for the Nancy Lieberman Award starting Friday, Oct. 21. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

The 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award winner will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include: Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022), Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04) and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).

‘College GameDay’ Returns To Knoxville For Matchup Between No. 6 Tennessee, No. 3 Alabama

/in , /by

ESPN’s College GameDay is headed back to Knoxville for the second time this season as No. 6 Tennessee will play No. 3 Alabama in what will be one of the biggest conference showdowns of the season.

SEC Network’s SEC Nation will also be in town to spotlight the “Third Saturday in October” rivalry between the two teams. This is the first time both shows will be in the same town since 1989.

College football’s most celebrated pregame show once again originates from the lawn at Ayres Hall from 8 a.m. to noon CT on Saturday (Oct. 15). This is College GameDay’s 11th all-time visit to the UTK campus and only the second time the show has coincided with the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry (1995, live from Birmingham, Alabama).

Fans are encouraged to show up to the lawn at Ayres Hall for live programming Friday. Live shots and taping for shows across the ESPN family of networks begin at 9:30 a.m. CT. The Pat McAfee Show airs live on YouTube from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT, followed by College Football Live on ESPN2 from 2-2:30 p.m. CT.

On Saturday, access to the College GameDay fan zone opens at 5:30 a.m. CT. Programming begins with live shots on ESPN SportsCenter at 6:45 a.m. CT. ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Live, airs from 7:30-8 a.m. CT.  The main College GameDay Show kicks off at 8 a.m. CT on ESPN and ESPNU. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will make a live appearance at approximately 9:30 a.m. CT.

Rece Davis leads the show in his eighth season as host and is joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, David Pollack and Pat McAfee. Reporters Jen Lada, Tennessee alum Gene Wojciechowski and newcomer Jess Sims, along with research producer Chris “The Bear” Fallica and college football insider Pete Thamel, round out the GameDay crew.

Saturday’s Tennessee-Alabama football game kicks off at 2:39 p.m. CT on CBS, with live pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell will call the action.

Neyland Stadium will be packed with yet another sold-out crowd, and fans are encouraged to participate in a stadium-wide “Orange Out” by wearing all orange.

Fans are strongly encouraged to arrive early and have their digital parking passes and tickets downloaded to their digital wallet apps before arriving on campus. Gate 21 Will Call opens at 10:30 a.m. CT, and gates to Neyland Stadium open at 12:30 p.m. CT. Fans without a game ticket are welcome to attend the Toyota Vol Village watch party.

For more information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.

Ayres Hall Lawn Schedule of Events in Eastern Time:

Friday, Oct. 14
11:15 a.m. ET – Live and taped segments for ESPN programming on main set begin
1-2 p.m. ET – Pat McAfee Show
3-3:30 p.m. ET – College Football Live (airs live on ESPN2; re-airs on ESPN2 at 4:30 p.m.)

Saturday, Oct. 15
6:30 a.m. ET – ESPN College GameDay pit opens
7:45 a.m. ET – ESPN SportsCenter live shots begin (airs live on ESPN)
8:30 a.m. ET – Countdown to GameDay Live (digital show that airs live on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App)
9 a.m.-noon ET – ESPN College GameDay (airs live on ESPN and ESPNU)
10:30 a.m. ET – Head Coach Josh Heupel live on ESPN College GameDay set

Thompson-Boling Arena East Ramp Schedule of Events in Eastern Time:

Friday, Oct. 14
3-7 p.m. ET – The Paul Finebaum Show (airs live on SEC Network)

Saturday, Oct. 15
9-10 a.m. ET – Marty & McGee (airs live on SEC Network)
10-noon a.m. ET – SEC Nation (airs live on SEC Network)

TSU Men’s Basketball Hosts Second Pro Day

/in , /by

Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. Photo: Courtesy of TSU Athletics

For the second straight year, Tennessee State University (TSU) hosted a Pro Day for its men’s basketball team. Scouts from six NBA teams and agents from across the country ascended to the Gentry Center for the players to show their wares.

Players showcased their talents and were given feedback on what scouts are looking for at the next level. Grad student Jr. Clay was especially appreciative of the showcase.

“Being a grad student, this is my last go-round,” says Clay. “All of the things that Coach [Brian “Penny” Collins] is doing is why I came here. I never have been to a Pro Day, so this was fun. We have four grad students on the roster, so this was good for us and the other guys. This will also help us during the season.”

Collins is a coach that is always looking for opportunities to help his players. Last week during Homecoming, he hosted a concert that helped benefit his program. The Pro Day was just another opportunity for the players.

“These guys work hard, and they deserve this and more,” says Collins. “Power 5 schools have huge budgets, so we must be creative in what we offer. This was a great opportunity for guys to show what they can do. The season is around the corner so there is more work to do. I am excited about this team and what they will have in store for our fans.”

Sports International Group agent Jacquail Jacox attended the open practice to get a look at the star potential at TSU. Jacox played high school basketball locally at Maplewood High School.

“This was a good way for me to see some hidden talent,” says Jacox. “A lot of guys can play but I look at body language and how they take coaching. Having us come out what not only good for the players, but it was also good for us. I am proud of what Coach Penny is doing.”

Vanderbilt’s Ray Davis Named To Comeback Player Of The Year Watch List

/in , /by

Ray Davis. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt senior running back Ray Davis has been named to the watch list for the Comeback Player of the Year.

Davis ran for 238 yards over the first three games of 2021 for the Commodores, including 93 yards at Colorado State. The effort not only helped head coach Clark Lea earn his first win, but snapped an 11-game losing streak for the program, as well as a 10-game road losing streak. He also found the end zone against Stanford in the third game before suffering a season-ending injury.

He has come back with a vengeance this season. At the halfway mark, Davis leads Vandy and is fifth in the SEC with 84.5 rushing yards per game. On top of his 507 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Davis has 110 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs. He ran for a season-high 116 yards in a victory at Northern Illinois and also went for 105 on the ground against No. 9 Ole Miss.

The San Francisco native has overcome both circumstance and injury to lead the Commodores in rushing this season. Growing up, Davis’ mother and father were both in and out of incarceration, with he and his siblings moving between the homes of family members. By age 8, he was in the California foster care system. He briefly lived in a homeless shelter before a high school teacher took him in before he returned to live with his grandmother.

Eventually, the parents of a youth basketball teammate became Davis’ educational rights holder and helped him enroll at Trinity-Pauley in New York. After finishing his prep career at Blair Academy in New Jersey, Davis enrolled at Temple and was a Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American before transferring to Vanderbilt.

The award recognizes college football players across five divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. The honor is presented by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) and The Associated Press.

Davis is one of 61 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision to make the initial watch list. Subsequent watch lists will include players from all divisions. At the conclusion of the season, a vote will be conducted by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors, with three student-athletes honored as Comeback Player of the Year award winners at this season’s College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Davis and the Commodores return to action at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday (Oct. 15) to face No. 1 Georgia on the SEC Network.